M a c hin e



-3 Sheets- Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

B. P OULS 0 N. BUNOHING MACHINE.

No. 588,007. Patented Aug. 10,1897.

WITNESSES 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

I B. POULSON. BUNGHING MACHINE.

(No Model.)

No. 588,007. Patented Aug. 10,1897.

w/r/vsss.- Z Firm QWZWW INVENTOH %ZZL/flm v7.0 wMzVfL 4'4 ATTORNEY.

(No Model.) 3 SheetsSheet 3.

- B. POULSON.

BUNGHING MACHINE.

No. 588,007. Patented Aug. 10,1897.

WITNESSES: 2% M llVl/EIVTOR .6, WM. 7 6; A9 2 ATTORNEY.

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Nrrnn STATES PATENT rrren.

BRITTON POULSON, OF FORT \VAYNE, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO THE FORT TVAYNE NOVELTY COMPANY.

BUN'CHING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 588,007, dated August 10, 1897.

Application filed June 24, 1896. Serial No. 596,757. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern: cam is operated by a foot-leverll by means Be it known that I, BRITTON POULSON, a of a connecting-rod l4, pivoted to a lug on citizen of the United States, residing at Fort the cam 10. The cam 10 is held in normal lVayne, in the county of Allen and State of position (shown in Fig. 7) by a strong spring, 5 Indiana, have invented certain new and usepreferably by a spiral spring 16, coiled around ful Improvements in Bunching-Machines; the lower part of the connecting-rod 14, one and I do declare the following to be a full, end of the spring engaging a collar 17 on the clear, and exact description of the invention, rod 14 and its other end resting against the such as will enable others skilled in the art tripod 21, in which the pipe 18 is inserted. 10 to which itappertains to make and use the This pipe 18 and the tripod 21 form the frame same, reference being bad to the accompanysupporting the case 20. For successful opering drawings, and to the figures of reference ation of the machine the cam 10 must be delimarked thereon, which form a part of this cately adjusted to a limited forward movespecification. ment on account of the compression of the I 5 My invention relates to improvements in staple 26 requiring exact limits. This is se machines of the class named, and its objects cured by a set-screw 22, against which some are to provide a machine which will be more part attached to the cam shall strike and easily and positively operated, be automatic thereby arrest at exactly the desired point in its action, economical of construction, and the forward movement of the cam 10. Such 7o 20 adapted, primarily, to tie bunches of vegesetscrew 22 is shown in Fig. 4, operating in tables and other kinds of gardeners products an extension 23, attached to the frame and and similar articles; and the invention conarranged to receive and arrest the downward sists in the construction and novel eombinamovement of the foot1ever, whereby the fortion of parts hereinafter described, pointed ward movement of the cam 10 is arrested. 2 5 out in the appended claims, and illustrated The twine 24 which secures the package or in the accompanying drawings, in which bunch 25 is tied or fastened by a short staple t 1 Figure 1 is a front view of the machine, the 26, made from a piece of wire, and is clamped 1 supporting-stem broken away and the cover upon the ends of the twine 24 close to the of the case removed, (needle not shown,) the bundle 25 with sufficient force to hold the 0 machine being in the position assumed by ends of the twine firmly without cutting or the parts when the operating-rod has reached abrading them. its downward limit. Fig. 2 is a side View of The staple 26 is formed as follows: The Wire parts shown in Fig. 1, showing also the nee- 27 is held on a reel 28, attached to the frame, dle and a bunch of vegetables. Fig. 3 is a and one end is passed up inside the case over 5 5 detail of the spring pawl or catch pin. Fig. the feed-wheel 29, which is rotated on a pin 4 is a side view of the machine with part of attached to the case 20. This wire 27 is held pipe or supporting-stem broken away. Fig. compressed against the periphery of the feed- 5 is a detail of part of Fig. 4, showing conwheel 29 by a traveler 32, held in position by necting-rod in dotted lines. Fig. 6 is a deastrongspringsecuredtothecase 20, whereby o tail of the needle-twine-tension mechanism. the movement of the feed-wheel 29 carries Fig. 7 is a front view similar to Fig. 1, but the wire 27 forward. The movements of the showing the mechanism in the position asfeed-wheel 29 are intermittent and of such sumed by the parts when in normal position, limit that the wire 27 is carried forward at (needle not shown and Fig. 8 is a detail each movement an exact'distance equal to 5 5 showing the staple secured to the twine. the length of wire required to form the staple Similar numerals of reference refer to simi- 26. Such movements of the feed-wheel 29 are lar parts throughout the several views. secured by forming the interdental spaces of All of the mechanism shown in Figs. 1 and the crown-ratchet 33 of the feed-wheel 29 ex- 7 is operated by a cam 10, mounted revolubly actly such distances apart. In the present I00 50 on a pin 11, attached to the case 20 and seinstance these spaces are one-half inch apart.

cured on said pin by a screw-cap 12. The The feed-wheel 29 is operated by the movepawl-pins used in the machine.

ment of the cam against a hanging lever 35, fulcrumed on a projection of the pin on which the feed-wheel 29 is rotated. This lever 35 engages the crown-ratchet 33 by means of a pawl-pin 34, operating through a hole in the lever 35 and actuated by a spring 36. There are, three of these spring-catches or Their construction is alike and is illustrated in detail in Fig. 3. This hanging lever 35 is provided with an inward curved edge 37, as shown in Fig. 1, which rides against the cam 10 and is operated by the impingement of a projection 38, operated by the return of the cam 10. A

spring 39, attached to the case at one end and impinging against this lever at the other end, restores the lever to its normal position, the pawl-pin 34 rising up over the teeth of the crown-ratchet and dropping down into engagement by means of its operatingspring 36 in position to operate the feed-wheel 29 when again moved outward by the cam 10.

From this feed-wheel 29 the wire 27 is passed up behind the wire-staple lever 40 and through a slot 42 in the top of the staple-compressing lever 41, as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 1, its end resting on the boss 43, forming part of the staple-die 44. The staple-die 44 is formed bya U shaped opening made partlyin theboss 43 and partly on top of the staple-compressing lever 41, and a portion of the case 20 is cut out to permit the twine to pass through this U and lie on the bottom of the staple 26. The wire-staple lever 40 for forming the staple 26 and cutting it from the wire 27 is fulcrumed 011 a pin 47, attached to the case 20 and secured thereto by a screw-cap. Its operating end is provided witha die or former 46, and at the upper and inner portion of the former 46 a knife-edged projection 48 is provided and adapted in combination with the upper end of the staple-compressing lever 41 to cut oii the wire 27 from the staple 26 when formed. This lever 40 is operated by a springcatch pin or pawl 34, (see details in Fig. 3,) operating through a hole in the cam 10, (see Fig. 7,) the outer edge 51 of the lever being chamfered to permit the pawl-pin 34 to ride over it on its return to normal position. The staple-compressing lever 41 is fulcrumed on the stud 53, on which the twine-disk 52 retates, and its lower end is operated by a shoulder 55 at one end of a recessed groove 54 in the cam 10.

The mode of operation is obvious from the description. The wire 27 being in position, as described, the former 46 is moved downward, pressing it into the U-shaped die, forming-a staple, which is cut by theknife 48 from the wire as soon as formed. The staple-compressing lever 41 then moves against the staple 26, clamping it together upon the twine 24. The wire-staple lever 40 is returned to its normal position (see Fig. 7) by a spring attached to the case. The staple-compressing lever 41 is returned to normal position by its end rising out ofthe socket 55. The forward movement of the cam 10 is arrested at the moment of greatest compression of the staple 26 by the impingement against the set-screw 22, as above described, and as the cam 10 is moved backward by the pressure of the spiral spring 16 on the connecting-rod 14the end of this lever 41 is released from pressure and it resumes its normal position, as described.

The twine-operating mechanism consists of a needle 56, carrying the twine 24 over the bundle 25 and down into the case 20. An inner projection 57 on the needle 56, just below and back of the needle-eye 60, is adapted to compress the upper twine with the lower twine upon the bottom of the U-opening of the case between the staple 26 and the bunch 25, just before and while the staple is being compressed.

A tension-spring 58, regulated by a thumb.- screw 59, is attached to the curved arm 65 of the case 20, as shown in Fig. 4, the details of which are illustrated in Fig. 6. The twine 24 is passed from its holder 62 up over the pin 61, attached to the tension-spring 5S, and preferably through a slot 61 in the pin to keep the twine 24 in place. The twine then passes through a guide on the needle 56 and then through theneedle-eye 60 into the case, where the end of the twine 24 is held firmly between the twine-disk 52 and thetwine-hook holder 72 when in normal position. The pin 61 is movably placed in a hole in the curved arm 65 of the case 20, and when the needle is thrown back into position it impinges against it, forcing it outward, relieving the tension, so that in this position the twine yields freely to the pressure of the bunch. The needlearm is provided with an extension 63', whereby the needle is operated. Such extension is shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 5. A connecting-arm 66 is pivoted on its upper end to the outer end of this extension 63, its lower part forming a sliding bar 67, which moves in guides 68 in the case 20 and is operated by a pin 69 at its extreme end, which projects into a spiral groove 7O,forn1ed in the cam lO,Whereby motion is imparted by its oscillation. The operation is obvious. As the cam 10is moved the spiral groove 70 carries the pin 69 backward and forward, operating the connectingarm 66, whereby the needle is operated.

The twine-disk 52 is mounted on a stud 53, attached to the case, on which it is rotated, and it is held in place by a screw-cap. It is constructed with U--shaped slots 72 on its periphery, in which a catch or pawl pin 34" engages to rotate it. This catch or pawl pin 34" operates and is held in place in a hole in a projection on the cam 101 As the cam 10 is moved forward the pin 34 engages one of these slots 72 and moves the diska givendistance, sufficient to carry the twine 24 from the needle 56 into engagement with the twineholder hook 744. The twine-holder hook 74 is a plate of metal provided with a slot or hook 75 and is attached to the case in such position that its flat side presses against the holder 7 4.

twine-disk 52, so that when the twineis forced between them it will thereby be held firmly. Its hook 75 is so arranged that it coincides with the slot 72 in the twine-disk 52 when the disk is in its normal position, as shown in Fig. 7. The twine 24. is held in the case 20 by its ends being compressed between the disk 52 and the twine-hook holder 74 at a point to the right of the slot 72. The twine 2% is then moved down into the slot 72 and into the staple 26 by pressure of the bundle 25 against it and is brought over the bunch 25 and down into the slots 72 of the disk 52 and hook- (See Fig. 2.) The twine 24 is also compressed by the inner projection 57 of the needle 56, so that its two strands lie close together at the bottom of the staple 26 and slots 72. Back of the twine'disk 52 and holder 74 and attached to the case 20 is a thin flat piece of metal provided with a sharp edge adapted to form a twine-knife 76, and the inner edges of the slots 72 of the twine-disk 52 are also provided with sharpened edges whereby when the twine-disk 52 carries the twine in its slots 72 forward and against the twine-knife 76 the twine is thereby cut otf smoothly.

The mode of operation is as follows: A wire is passed from the reel up through a hole in the bottom of the case and over the feedwheel and through the slot in the operating end of the compression-lever, its end resting on the boss attached to the case, which forms part of the staple-die, as shown in Fig. 7. The machine being in normal position, as shown in same figure, the twine is earried from its receptacle up over the spring-tension through its guides and through the eye of the needle and down into the case, as shown in Fig. at. WVhen in the case, the end of the twine is placed between the twine-hook holder and the disk to oneside of the slot, as shown in Fig. 7, the bunch is then placed against the twine between the needle-eye andthe case,and the twine freely gives to such pressure, as the tension is thereby entirely released, and the bunch is placed and lies on the twine and in the curved arm of the case. When the footlever is moved downward, the wire-staple lever and the needle commence to be operated simultaneously. The first effect is the forming of the staple, as described, and cutting it from the wire, At-this time the needle has carried the twine over the bundle into the staple and slots of the twine-hook holder and the twine-disk, and its inner projection impinges both strands of the twine and the bundle, holding them in position, .as shown in the cam the hanging lever of the feed-wheel is operated upon and the wire is fed another distance forward, so that its free end rests upon the boss ready to form the next staple.

This machine is intended, primarily, for tying small bundles and vegetables into bunches for marketing, but I do not confine it to such uses.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is-

1. In a bunching-machine the combination of a case to hold the mechanism; a cam;- astaple-die as 4-1; a staple-former for the die; a knife attached to the staple-former adapted to cut the staple when formed from the wire; a lever adapted to operate said staple-former; a staple-compressing lever as 41; a needle provided with an eye over-which the twine passes and fulcrumed so that its other end forms an extension to operate it like a lever; a connecting-arm at the end of said extension, its lower part forming a sliding bar; a pin at the end of said sliding bar adapted to enter a spiral slot in the cam a twine-disk provided with a series of U-shaped slots for operation and for the reception of the twine; a pawl-pin held in place by a spring attached to the cam and adapted to engage said slots and rotate the disk a given distance by the oscillation of the cam; a twine-hook holder provided with a hook attached to the case, and adjusted so that the hook part coincides with one of the slots of the disk, when the machine is in its normal position, and so adjusted that when the twine-disk carries the twine forward between the disk and the lever, the twine shall be firmly held between them; and a twine-knife attached to the case and adapted to sever both strands of the twine when the disk carries them against it; substantially as described.

2. In a bunching-machine a needle provided with an eye through which a twine for tying the bunch or parcelpasses, the needle being pivoted so that its other end forms an extension, whereby it is operated like a lever, to throw the needle in and out of position: a connecting-arm pivoted to the end of said extension of the needle its lower part forming a sliding bar: a pin at the end of said sliding bar adapted to enter a slot in the cam: a cam attached to the case and provided with a spiral slot adapted to move said bar inward and outward by its oscillation: and means to operate the cam.

3. In abunching-machine a twine-disk provided with a series of U-shaped slots for operation and for reception of the twine: a pawlpin held in place'by a spring attached to the cam, and adapted to engage said slots and rotate the disk a given distance by the oscillation of the cam: a twine-hook holder provided with a hook attached to the case and adjusted so that the hook part coincides with one of the slots of the disk when the machine is in normal position, and also so adjusted that when the twine-disk carries the twine forward between the disk and the holder, the parts shall be so related as to hold the twine firmly between them.

4:. In a bundling-machine a twine-disk provided with a series of U-shaped slots for op-' eration and for reception of the twine: a pawlpin held in place by a spring attached tothe cam and adapted to engage said slots and rotate the disk a given distance by the oscillation of the cam; a twine-hook holder provided with a hook attached to the case and adjusted so that the hook part coincides with one of the slots of the disk when the machine is in normal position, and also so adjusted that when the twine-disk carries the twine forward between the disk and the holder, the parts shall be so related as to hold the twine firmly between them: a twine-knife attached to the ease and adapted to sever both strands of twine by the rotation of the disk carrying the two strands of twine against it.

5. In a bunching-maohine a die for forming a wire staple, a staple-former attached to the wire-staple lever fulcrumed on a stud attached to the frame: a knife-edge attached to said former adapted to cut the Wire from the staple when formed: a staple-compressing le-' and to form guides for the twine: a twineknife attached to the case and arranged to out the twine when the twine is carried against it by said disk: and a cam adapted to operate all of said mechanism consecutively, so as. to tie the package or parcel.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

BRITTON POULSON.

Vitnesses:

H. D. WINCH, H. O. HARTMAN. 

